Back Down the Rabbit Hole
by xrightwhereitbelongs
Summary: Set after Revolutions. Neo begins to realise his life isn't what he thinks it is...


**Back Down the Rabbit Hole.**  
Chapter 1. Haunted

**Rating:** PG-13  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing please don't sue! Lol.  
**Summary:** Set after Revolutions. Neo begins to realise his life isn't what he thinks it is.  
**AN:** This is my very first matrix fic so feedback would be very much appreciated.

_Cold metal grating into his already tender flesh.  
His entire body ached, inside and out.  
Trinity.  
He remembered the kiss... Her final kiss.  
He could still feel her final breath on his lips, she was dead.  
He tried to blink but to no avail.  
He was in agony. The place where his eyes should have been was a blistering mess.  
Red raw flesh irritated further by the piece of cloth he had tied over them.  
It was dark.  
The spectacular glow he had witnessed earlier was gone, now he saw nothing. Now he would never see anything ever again.  
Ever again... Did he want to be here?  
Did he even care if he couldn't see any more?  
His heart throbbed.  
Trinity.  
She was dead.  
The woman he had loved so god damn much, dead.  
He could still feel her lips, a shiver running down his spine.  
If his eyes weren't so fucked up he would have cried.  
A sudden jolt.  
Metal grating on metal.  
Air blowing gently into his face.  
He was moving..._

Neo sat bolt upright gasping for breath.  
His body was drenched in a cold sweat.  
A dream.  
He had been dreaming of a woman.  
No, darkness?  
He couldn't remember.  
His mind was like a pair of cupped hands desperately trying to clasp onto a handful of water.  
Each time trying to hold on just a little bit tighter, only making it worse.  
The detail slipped from his mind draining away never to return again, leaving him with a feeling of complete helplessness.  
Seven AM.  
He was early for a change.  
Work started at nine, he had plenty of time.

The dreams had been getting more frequent, deeper even. He knew he was gaining more and more information each time but could never remember afterwards.  
What was his subconscious trying to tell him?  
Why was he having these mysterious dreams?  
He had always been a light sleeper prone to restless nights, bad dreams, strange images but this was beyond anything he had ever experienced.  
His computer was still on.  
The screen held an array of information concerning a new type of software, something he was hoping to buy if he could sell a couple extra programmes.  
Not that he needed it, he had enough crap stuffed into his computer it was a miracle the thing still ran!  
Neo scanned the screen briefly his hand hovering over the off button... Suddenly one word jumped out at him, something that was so oddly familiar.  
The Matrix.  
The word haunted his mind.  
The Matrix.  
He seemed to _know_ that word.  
The Matrix.  
It was more than familiar, it felt like it was apart of him.  
Like it was a long lost memory that meant more to him than he could ever know.  
_You think too much Neo.  
_He needed a shower needed to wash away the strange feeling overcoming him.

Metacortex.  
What a drab drab place but still it paid the bills when business was slow.  
It was one of the top software company's in the world.  
Neo was a programme writer, one of the best if he did say so himself.  
He was early, well there's a first time for everything isn't there!  
He made his way to the small cubical where he sat day after day.  
Somehow he felt different, like he had been here before... Well of course he had, he worked here! This was different though.  
_"Neo"_  
He turned quickly, no one knew him by that name not here.  
There was no one there.  
Turning back he slumped into the uncomfortable CHEAP office chair.  
Yeah, top software company in the world but they couldn't afford decent chairs!  
He booted up the computer, drumming his fingers impatiently on the desk.  
His eyes stung it had been a lifetime ago since he'd had his full eight hours sleep.  
_"Neo"_  
This time he knew he wasn't imagining things, that voice had been real. A female voice...

She stood far away in the shadows, she knew he couldn't see her here.  
Neo aka Thomas A. Anderson.  
The one.  
The woman was tall, her pale face radiating beauty. Dark black sunglasses hid her intense green eyes staring straight at the newly reinstated human.  
Her long black hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail high on her head.  
She was clothed from head to foot in black.

Neo spun around for a second time this time his eyes searching EVERY corner of the large room.  
The person could be anywhere.  
The room was filled with cubicles identical to his, it would be incredibly easy to duck down and disappear.  
Neo rose to his feet walking forward several paces.  
"Mr Anderson! Do my eyes deceive me"  
Neo stopped dead.  
What a fucking jerk.  
"Mr Parkinson" Neo replied almost bitterly.  
The man smirked obliviously happy about Neo's irritation.  
"So you managed to drag your sorry ass out of that dump of yours"  
"Shut the fuck up Gary." Neo said wearily.  
The man's grin widened as he made his way to his own cramped booth.  
"Asshole." Neo muttered under his breath sinking back into his chair.

The computer was now loaded asking for a user name and password.  
Neo typed them in with expert hands, leaning further into his chair.  
He closed his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose, the tension in his body reaching breaking point.  
Green scrolls of encrypted code covered the entire room... No, it didn't just cover the room it MADE the room! The walls, the floor, ceiling, his chair... EVERYTHING.  
He pushed his chair back in a hurry falling clumsily to the floor.  
"Jesus Christ Anderson! I knew you were weird but I didn't know you were insane! Why the hell are you lying on the floor?" Gary asked standing over a very disorientated Neo.  
"Piss off." Neo said through gritted teeth clumsily rising to his feet.  
What the HELL was going on.  
The elevator dinged and a dozen people got out making their way to their work stations.  
Gary laughed again making his way to the group of people who just entered the room.  
Neo returned to his seat for the third time that day.  
His mind was no longer on his job, definitely not.  
No, he was too caught up on the green code that had previously made up the structure of this room.  
He opened the Internet explorer typing in one simple word matrix.  
A list of sites filled his screen, he choose one.  
_The search for Morpheus continues._  
Morpheus. That name.  
He knew no one of that name yet the name like the matrix filled him with familiarity.  
What was going on with him lately?  
Strange dreams he couldn't remember, hallucinations, hearing things, the feeling of being watched and now names he had never heard of being familiar?  
Neo had a strange sense of deja vouz...

Back in his apartment in front of his computer screen as usual, Neo began the long search he knew was ahead of him this time his key word was Morpheus.  
He needed to know what was going on with his life and why he felt the way he did.

_"I know why you're here Neo, I know what you've been doing. I know why you hardly sleep, why you live alone and why night after night you sit at your computer. You're looking for him"  
They were close so very very close.  
He could feel her warm breath on his ear, feel her cheek pressed against his own.  
He could smell her. A sweet scent that made him want to pull her close, closer than she already was.  
He was so blissfully aware of their closeness..._

Neo woke to the sound of knocking.  
He was still at his computer slumped over, his head resting peacefully on the desk.  
"Who is it?" He called straightening up in his seat.  
"Shaide" A voice called from behind the door.  
"Hold on"  
Neo rose to his feet opening the door a little.  
"You got the money"  
The man held out a wad of cash a brief smile crossing over his features.  
"Two and a half grand Neo. This better be good"  
Neo simply nodded closing the door to fetch the disk.  
It lay in a hollow green book on his bookshelf. He searched for a moment through the others, finally finding the one he needed.  
He returned to the door.  
"Don't get caught"  
"You think I'm that stupid Neo? I know the drill." He said taking the disk.  
"Lighten up man you look like shit"  
"Gee thanks." Neo replied sarcastically.  
The man smiled once more before giving a small nod and leaving.  
Neo returned to his computer more than a little tired.  
It had happened again only this time he could still smell her... That woman.  
She was so beautiful.  
The sweet smell still combed his nostrils haunting him with her presence.  
He needed to figure this out soon before he went god damn insane.


End file.
